What TIRES fit? The ultimate tire thread!

[Dana Champion]

Considering running Sumitomo HTR A/S PO2 215 60 16 with a load rating of 99, on my '88 2.1 auto Westfalia, with (existing) 16" GoWesty Mercedes style wheels.

Anyone running these ? Thoughts or comments ?

I see the previous model is on Kamz list on page 1.

Thanks,

Dana

[Igeo]

The Sumitomo looks pretty good.
I'm in the market too and considering these Nokians which are comparable and cheaper.
You thought of going with 65 series?

https://www.amazon.com/Nokian-T427917-eNTYRE-All-S...merReviews

[Dana Champion]

That Nokian looks good. Great price too. The 65 is a little taller, and might need a higher load rating because of the taller sidewall. ? it's not much taller. I think I'm going to stay with 60's.
My local Tire Man will install the Sumitomos for $504 out the door.

Decisions ...

[Igeo]

The 65's carry more load. That's a good thing.
The 27 inch diameter could affect pulling power, yet provide lower rpms on the highway. It's a trade off.....

[butacska]

Hello Everybody!

I am in need of some guidance, please.

A little over 1.5 years ago my husband passed away. Our (mostly his) baby, an '87 Vanagon Weekender Wolfsburg edition was left with me... I was always just a passenger and she took us to so many beautiful places with so many memories...
Soon after his passing I needed to move the van from the garage to the street in front of the house and I had gas pouring out around the belly, engine didn't get gas, so it stalled and had to push it. I didn't move the van til this Wednesday when I finally scooped myself together and towed her to a very nice mechanic. After some basic tuneup, he fixed the leak, she got new battery, power steering belt, alternator belt, oil change, new tie rod ends, some new light bulbs. He told me the tires are dry rotted and she is in need of an urgent alignment.

I remember all the ordeals my hubby used to have with finding tires for her and now here I am trying to do the same thing without him... and with very limited knowledge.

Since his passing I also lost the bigger part of our income and don't have the same resources like before.

I figured I just buy the same inexpensive tires that are on right now (they look like new outside, but I would guess 5-6 years old, in Las Vegas heat, sitting in the sun through 2 summers... they very well could be rotted inside) but unfortunately the dealers that I called (and are close to me so I don't have to drive far because of the alignment issues) said that the Falken 205/70 R14 SN211 tires were discontinued.

Then I looked into what else... and I am totally bumped out because of the sizes, manufacturers, specifics, etc....

Can you guys, please, recommend me some tires so I can call around and ask the tire shops around me to see if they can make it happen? I would greatly appreciate it.

I would like to keep the whole project under $400 dollars, if possible.

Thank you in advance!

Maria

Ugh, I posted in the wheel thread earlier, my apologies! I copy-pasted to the right thread.

[elizer]

Check out this thread.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=499636

[levi]

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F302692840935

Tires can be a daunting experience.
On ebay there is one option in that size which meets the basic needs of our vans.
98 load with the XL.
Never heard of these Lionheart, but they're in your price range, a little under 200 including delivery, (you could have them shipped to a discount tire place) so that would put your total real close to 300.

Maybe someone will have a better tire option at that price.

Btw, I am no sort of tire expert.
So, take the above with that in mind.
_________________
One of these days I'm gonna settle down,
but till I do I won't be hangin round.
Going down that long lonesome highway,
gonna see life my way

https://youtu.be/cSrL0BXsO40

[butacska]

[elizer]

185 would be stock width if I'm not mistaken. That's the part that contacts the road.

I honestly dont know why some sizes for the 14 inch wheel foesnt have the aspect ratio or middle number. The middle number determines how thick the sidewall is if you look at it from the side. Like from the wheel to the outer edge. It is a percentage of the first number.

So higher the first number the wider the tire. Higher the 2nd number the thicker the sidewall.

I think if u are stock you want to keep the first number anywhere from 185 to 205. The 2nd number you have to play around with to get close to the stock diameter. So when you look at the 14 inch tire thread most of the time when people post tire finds they will say "close to stock diameter" or something along those lines.

Also you ca use tire size calculator (input into google) put those numbers in and it will calculate the diameter.

[Busdepot]

The middle number on a 185R14 or 195R14 is 82. So if listed using modern nomenclature it would be 185/82R14 or 195/82R14.

There is a lot of discussion on this thread about narrower versus wider tires. In a nutshell, all things being equal (tread pattern, rubber compound, etc.), a narrower tire will have better traction on wet/snowy/icy roads (i.e. lower risk of hydroplaning), while a wider tire has better traction on dry roads. I lean toward a narrower tire on my Westy and my Crew Cab because it's while driving in treacherous weather when I most want that extra ounce of grip. My Vanagon feels fairly sure-footed on dry roads.

Smaller versus larger wheels - remember that when you increase wheel diameter, if you are trying to keep overall ride height about the same (and your speedometer accurate) you have to decrease sidewall height. Since you are replacing sidewall (which has some give) with metal which doesn't, you may experience a harder ride and feel more bumps in the road. (Again, all other things being equal.) Also a shorter sidewall will be more prone to blowouts due to potholes etc. If you are increasing wheel size to increase ride height (so no reduction in sidewall height to offset it) then those issues do not apply.

This has been said before but bears reiteration for safety's sake - Increasing tire size does NOT eliminate the need for C or D load range tires. Even 15-17" wheel Eurovans (aka T4/T5/T6), which have roughly the same gross vehicle weight rating as Vanagons, require XL tires as per Volkswagen specs. When considering larger wheels, you will want to price load range C/D tires in that size versus 14" ones as part of the cost equation.

See our article on tire safety and choosing the right Vanagon tire at: http://www.busdepot.com/details/tires/ (That link has been mentioned elsewhere in this thread but after all these posts may be buried.)

For 25 years we have recommended and continue to recommend the Hankook 185R14 (or 195R14) all-season load range D tires. They are mentioned time and time again in this thread. For the average Vanagon owner who needs a high quality yet inexpensive tire for typical use (no off-roading beyond grassy/wooded campgrounds or festivals, and perhaps some winter weather driving but not severe enough to warrant snow tires), there's really no need to "reinvent the wheel." http://www.busdepot.com/RA18/
_________________
- Ron Salmon
The Bus Depot
www.busdepot.com

[butacska]

Thank you guys! You helped a lot!

I am much more successful finding by size rather than vehicle type.

So I'm thinking these tires are at a very good price, same size as the ones she currently has on.


https://www.discounttire.com/fitmentresult/tires/s...amp;page=0

Everywhere else I looked, the Load Index is 95 or 93. These are the only ones that seem to fit all the specs (even brand name tires, like BFGoodrich is at 93 Load Index at Costco!)

Are these okay quality tires?

[levi]

Yes!
Those are just fine
They are 98 with an XL (meaning extra load) rating.
_________________
One of these days I'm gonna settle down,
but till I do I won't be hangin round.
Going down that long lonesome highway,
gonna see life my way

https://youtu.be/cSrL0BXsO40

[butacska]

[danfromsyr]

FYI just passing along.
~$60ea shipped for 215/70/15 XL 103T snow tires.


limited quantity
https://www.ebay.com/itm/4-New-215-70R15XL-103T-Ge...3354080917

4 New 215/70R15XL 103T General Altimax Arctic

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[danfromsyr]

might be a nice winter or seasonal tire for someone running 16s

https://www.ebay.com/itm/4-New-Continental-ContiCr...2965510618

4 New Continental ContiCrossContact Winter LT215/85R16 Load 10 Ply Winter Tires US $327.93 ($82/ea) shipped

FWIW, they are listed as a Mfg of 2015..

_________________

[Jake de Villiers]

[DuncanS]

Bus Depot--Just checked out the Hankook 195R14 all-season load range D tires that you recommended on their web site and the load index is 91 for the all season tires and 92 for the Optimo. This doesn't seem like enough by quite a bit since most of the guys on this site are talking about 99 and 101. There is no talk about a load range of D. Comments?

[crazyvwvanman]

Bus Depot sells the RA18 model Hankooks and the RA18 are Load D with more than enough capacity for our VW vans in 185R14C and 195R14C sizes. You must have been looking at some other tire model and size.

Mark

[DuncanS]

Help--I'm in desperate shape here as I'm currently running on 100 year old summers whose tread is no longer safe, 195's on 14" alloy. Dead snows on 14" steel. '91 tintop WBX with stripped out interior (no middle or rear seats), 2WD or actually 1WD. Daily driver, live in central New Hampshire, but the towns around here have a dry road policy such that the day after a 14" snow fall, the roads are not only plowed, but dry as well. Wife's Jetta runs on all seasons, so that's what I want to use. Sometimes load the car up with 1000# plus with tools and boat gear, but probably only 10% of the mileage with this. Want to go to 16" rims. Want a quiet and not too hard ride, so when on a roadie with wife and or others, it feels like a car and not an off road truck. Don't want a wide tire. Have been happy with the 195's so would like to keep that tread width if possible to reduce hydroplaning since I often take 400 mile trips on Interstates when it's raining. Go Westy's and other 16" alloys seem to be too wide for a narrower tire. Have read 20 pages of "What tire fits" and many of "What wheel fits" and am totally confused and can't seem to find tires of the needed load index.

[danfromsyr]

like Crazyvwvanman above said you are fine with the RA18.. they are a load range of 104/106..

you can buy them at/thru walmart if you don't want to go thru busdepot.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/RA18-195R14/720532584

they will NOT do well in snow/ice/slush/wet grass or mud..
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